Part Fifteen: Of the Beginnings of Parenthood, and Deep Conversations
The moment the doctors had arrived, Yoko had been gently yet forcefully pushed from the room and told to go to the waiting room. That was over five hours ago and the Kitsune is trying his best to keep calm. He paces back and forth along the same path he had started walking the minute he had arrived. The poor floor is looking pretty worn out but he doesn't care. He's too busy wondering if he is going to lose his beloved mate again. He looks up at the clock as he makes another circuit and realizes that the others would be out of school soon. He makes a mental note to call Keiko and Kuwabara once he knows that they have returned home. "Umm, excuse me, sir, is there anyone I can call for you?" that same nurse inquires. He turns and looks at her. "You look very upset. It might be good to have a friend here with you."
"May I use the phone?" he asks. She nods and holds it out to him. 'Please be at Genkai's,' he thinks as he dials the number. Thankfully the elderly psychic and seen the need to put in a phone line to her temple and more often then not, Hiei was there. He waits for someone to pick up.
"Hello?" Genkai asks.
"Hello, Genkai, is Hiei there?"
"Kurama? Why aren't you in school…and why are you Yoko?"
"I promise to explain later. Is Hiei there? It's urgent."
"All right, fox-demon. I'll go outside and get him. He's been meditating all day."
Yoko waits his tail swishing anxiously. "Hn, what do you need fox?" Hiei inquires.
"I need you to come to the Makai. Kuronue was restored yesterday and he's gone into labor. Please, Hiei, I need you here."
"Calm yourself, fox. I am sure he's fine. If you give me a location I could come."
"I'm sorry, it's just that he's been in that damn room for five hours and I haven't heard a word from any of the doctors."
"Fox, a location." Yoko finally calms enough to tell him where he is at. "All right, I'll be there soon. Sit down and stop pacing around the room."
Hiei's command almost makes him smile. The fire-demon truly knew him well. "Very well. Just get here, Hiei!" Hiei's response is a slight chuckle before hanging up and Yoko knows he's on his way. He only hopes the smaller demon gets there before he's given bad news and not after.
Not even five minutes pass before the cloaked demon walks into the waiting room. "Still no word?" he asks.
"No, I'm getting worried. I don't want him to die, Hiei!"
"Oh, stop it, fox. He's not going to die."
"You don't know that!"
"Well, you don't know that he is, either." That quiets him and slowly, he sinks down into a chair.
"I can't lose him and our children…I just can't," he whispers miserably, "not after losing him because of Koenma. He'd been only forty-eight hours from conceiving Hiei. Had we not gone to that particular castle, he would have given birth within two days then Koenma would have had to stay away from them."
"Fox, living in the past won't help you. You need to focus on today. Stop torturing yourself over what might have been."
"You're right of course. Living in the past has never saved anyone. I need to look to the future but I don't know what it holds."
"Hardly anyone does, fox, hardly anyone does."
Both demons lapse into a companionable silence as they wait for news on Kuronue. Yoko divides his attention between the clock and the door through which he had carried Kuronue, and Hiei quietly watches him. He knew he had done the right thing by returning Kuronue and is confidant that the demon will be fine. He only wishes that Yoko had the same assurance.
It takes two more hours before someone appears in the doorway. "Yoko?" he asks. Cautiously, the silver-haired kitsune stands up. His golden eyes are guarded and wary.
"Yes?" the fox-demon asks trying to remain calm. 'Please be good news, please be good news,' he thinks over and over again.
"Congratulations. Your mate is fine and you have three healthy children; two girls and a boy," he tells him. It takes Yoko a moment to realize what was just said and when the truth finally dawns on him, joy wells up.
"I'm a father?" he whispers.
"Yes, you are the father to three. Your son is the middle child."
"Can I see them?"
"Of course, right this way."
Yoko turns to Hiei. "Do you want to come?"
Hiei shakes his head. "No, fox, you go and visit them. I am sure your mate is tired. I'll see them when you bring them to show everyone else." Yoko nods and follows the doctor down the hallway towards his mate. He was a father, him, the legendary bandit! A grin spreads across his face. Life was good again!
The doctor brings him into the room where Kuronue is laying on a bed looking exhausted but happy. "Hey, lovely," Yoko murmurs walking close.
"Hi, I'm tired," Kuronue says.
"Then you sleep. I'll watch over the little ones. We'll name them when you're awake," Yoko suggests. Kuronue smiles and nods before drifting off. Yoko looks at the basket cradled to Kuronue's side and gasps. Nestled within are his three children. The two girls were obviously taking after their "mother" in looks while the little boy was taking after both him and Kuronue. "A flying fox," he murmurs with an adoring smile, "How absolutely wonderful." He just stands there observing the four sleeping members of his family feeling more love and joy then he ever thought possible.
He soon remembers Hiei and heads into the waiting room but the fire-demon was no where to be found. "He told me to tell you to take care of yourself and that it was your secret to tell," the nurse says in way of explanation.
"Thank you," he says before heading to the door and back to his family. That was just like Hiei. He never did like to cause a scene or be a part of one. 'I hope one day you find happiness like I have,' he thinks, 'if anyone deserves it, it would be you."
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Right after school, Kuwabara heads back to get Shizuru. He had decided to ditch going to detention, which Mr. Akashi had decided he needed for just breathing. That rat-faced teacher still got on his nerves. He had hoped to get rid of him but for some reason the man ALWAYS seemed to teach a class Kuwabara was taking. The carrot-top swears that he does it on purpose but that wasn't exactly illegal. He knew that the next day there would be hell to pay but he had made a promise to Ani and he would be damned if some buck-tooth teacher made him break his word. Shizuru is waiting by the front door. "If you get called by Mr. Akashi tell him to fuck off, okay? I skipped detention," he tells her.
"Kazuma," she groans.
"What? He gave it to me because I was breathing! I couldn't stay after, I made a promise to Ani and I don't break my oaths!" he protests.
"He's getting pretty important to you, isn't he?" Shizuru inquires. Kuwabara looks at her quizzically. "You don't normally make promises to demons who have tried to kill you three times and actually keep them."
"I already told Urameshi that I don't have to defend myself to anyone, Shizuru. I am not going to let him go through this alone. It IS my fault he's in the predicament after all," Kuwabara tells her.
"That's not what I meant. I meant that you are beginning to really care for him…as a person." That stops Kuwabara cold, and he turns to look at her. "Face it bro, I think you are beginning to like the little guy."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Shizuru, I'm straight!"
For some reason this makes her laugh. "Oh Kazuma, you really are dense aren't you!"
"Do you mind telling me why you're calling me an idiot?" he says irritably, "I don't have to bring you along you know."
"I wasn't calling you an idiot, baby-bro. You just don't see what's happening. I think it's wonderful and I hope you realize it sooner rather then later because I promise you WILL figure it out. I just hope I am there to see the realization dawn on your face. That will be a priceless moment."
"You're insane, you know that?" he mutters as he continues walking towards the portal though part of him is wondering what the hell she's talking about. 'What's happening?' he wonders, 'She's not making any sense.'
'Maybe she's making perfect sense and you just don't want to see that,' his mind pipes up, 'Maybe it's the fact that you aren't willing to admit the truth of her words that clouds over what she is telling you.'
'Shut up! I am NOT having the conversation about wanting Ani…AGAIN!'
'But you still do. You crave touching him and hearing him whimper your name.'
'I'm not listening, I'm not listening!'
'Yes, yes you are,' his mind taunts him. He shakes his head. "Something wrong, Kazuma?" Shizuru asks.
"No," he answers, "just a wandering mind." He sees her giving him a skeptical look but once again she doesn't push the issue. She merely shakes her head and mutters something about males and egos. He's sure it's not a compliment.
They arrive at the house and Kuwabara knocks on the door. Karasu answers it. "Hello, Kuwabara. Shizuru, it's nice of you to join us, come on in," he remarks.
"Well, at least you have manners," Shizuru comments. Karasu smiles.
"A little bit at any rate," he answers.
"How's Ani?" Kuwabara inquires.
"He's having trouble keeping anything down."
"Maybe I can figure out something. My mom could only eat certain foods when she was pregnant with Kazuma or she'd throw it back up."
"That would be much appreciated by everyone," Karasu tells her, "he should be in the den with Oto if he's not throwing up in the bathroom. He had been doing that frequently this morning." Nodding, Kuwabara heads in that direction, Shizuru right behind him.
Kuwabara peers in the den and has to smile. Ani is curled up on the couch staring at the TV. He looks up when they enter. "You're back," he murmurs.
"Yes, I promised I come back after school. My sister, Shizuru, decided she wanted to tag along so I brought her," Kuwabara responds.
"Welcome, Shizuru. I would be more hospitable but I fear that if I move I am going to lose the contents of my stomach…again."
"That's quite all right. I don't particularly want to see that happen."
"No, no you don't," Oto remarks.
"Shut up, brother," Ani tells him.
"Hey, if I have to watch you throw up fifteen, FIFTEEN times, I think I have a right not to want to go through it again!" Oto retorts. Ani stares at him in shock.
"Oh, shit," Kuwabara whispers knowing instinctively that Ani is about to react VERY badly. Within two seconds, Kuwabara is proven right and Ani starts wailing. Kuwabara covers his ears. "Gods, I didn't want to know what a banshee sounded like!"
"Damn, that one has a voice," Shizuru agrees.
"Wonderful, Oto just had to go and be an idiot didn't he?" Karasu grits out, "He's not going to hush for about three hours."
Kuwabara walks over to the couch and kneels down in front of Ani. "Hey, it's all right. He didn't mean to hurt you," he murmurs reaching forward and brushing the smaller demon's hair out of his face. He has no idea what the hell he's doing, but to his surprise, it works and Ani quiets looking at him. "He didn't mean to upset you, Ani." The smaller demon merely sniffles and once again, Kuwabara realizes that he looks rather cute. 'What the hell?' he thinks, 'Since when does Ani look cute in anyway?'
"Why can't I keep myself together?" Ani whispers miserably, "This is humiliating."
"Hey, no one blames you," Karasu assures him, "You're pregnant and you have mood swings. It's normal. Your brother needs to think a little bit more about what he says or he'll get his mouth glued shut." That makes Ani snicker.
"I'd pay money to see that," Kuwabara remarks looking at the violet-eyed demon.
"Well, if I am forced to do it then I'll give you a front row seat to it," Karasu tells him, "You and Ani."
"So, getting back to the eating issue, is there anything you've tried that HAS worked?" Shizuru asks.
"No, but after the first try, he refused to come near any sort of food," Oto answers. Shizuru chuckles.
"I can understand him not wanting to eat anything because of that but he needs to. Why don't you try giving him fruits and seeing if he can keep them down," she comments.
"I don't see why not. I'll go see what I can find," Oto remarks before heading to towards the kitchen.
"Karasu and I will help you," Shizuru says suddenly. Karasu looks at her but she merely takes him by the arm and follows Oto leaving Kuwabara and Ani alone.
"I'm sorry," Kuwabara murmurs looking at him.
"For what?" Ani asks.
"For getting you into this mess. It can't be easy knowing that you are carrying my children."
"I made the decision to keep them, Kuwabara. I knew all along whose they were since I was told that I was pregnant. Maybe I wasn't too happy in the beginning, but neither of us had a choice in the matter. Fate saw fit to make us parents which means that we are responsible for the lives of these little ones."
"My, I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much!"
"That's because I only open my mouth when I have something important to say."
"Where have I heard a variation of THAT line before? Oh, yes, right before I had to get ready to get into an arena with you."
"You truly surprised me, Kuwabara. Every obstacle that ever came your way you faced with a strength I have seen few possess. You knew what you stood for and you knew what you were trying to accomplish."
"Are you complimenting me, Ani?"
"Don't get too used to it, I won't due it often."
"Drat, and here I thought it would be an everyday occurrence."
"Brat."
Kuwabara smiles. "Why thank you."
Watching from the doorway, Karasu can't help but look at Shizuru who smiles. "He's falling for him," she murmurs, "He just doesn't see it yet."
"What happens when he does figure it out? Yusuke will NEVER accept it," Karasu responds.
"No, that is true but I think Kuwabara is strong enough to lose Yusuke's friendship for the sake of his own heart."
"He's turning into a demon, you know that right?"
"…Yes. I have suspected it for a while now. He has no idea what's happening to him but he's had days were he's just been too tired and achy to go to school. He has yet to realize that there is a reason that he's feeling like that. I just don't know how he'll take it."
"I don't know that it is crucial that we tell him at this very moment. It might be able to wait until the children are born before we put anymore on his shoulders."
"That is true. He's so sure that he's straight, it's almost going to be sad to watch him realize that isn't the truth."
"Well, I can understand why he would want to believe that he is. He feels so abnormal that he craves one trait socially defined as normal," Oto says as he walks up with a bowl of fruit, "He cares far too much about what other people think."
"I used to think that was true, but now I am not so sure. He told me earlier that he told Yusuke that he didn't have to defend Ani or himself to anyone. I think he's beginning to understand that the only way to be happy is to be happy with himself and not to base that on anyone else's definition of happiness," Shizuru says, "It will take him a while but I do believe that he will figure himself out eventually. He's really very bright; he just doesn't always use common sense."